Homepage News Article

Jim Nantz named Rozelle Award winner

Jim Nantz, lead play-by-play announcer for The NFL on CBS, is the 2011 recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, it was announced today. The award, given annually by the Pro Football Hall of Fame recognizes “long-time exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football.” He is the youngest recipient ever of this award.

The Class of 2011 Enshrinement Ceremony takes place the following day at 7:00 PM, ET. On Sunday, August 7, at 8:00 PM, ET, the Chicago Bears and the St. Louis Rams will play in the annual NFL/Hall of Fame Game.

“It’s one of the greatest honors you could ever receive in our industry,” says Nantz. “I’m grateful to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for this recognition and thrilled to be in the company of the past recipients of the Pete Rozelle Award.”

Photo courtesy of
John P. Filo/CBS

Nantz also was honored by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as its youngest recipient of the Curt Gowdy Media Award in 2002. With the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award honor, Nantz joins Dick Enberg and Curt Gowdy as the only broadcasters to be recognized by both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Nantz is a two-time Emmy Award-winner for Outstanding Sports Personality – Play-By-Play (2009, 2010) and a five-time National Sportscaster of the Year as voted by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (2010, 2008, 2007, 2005 and 1998).

Nantz has covered virtually every sport for the CBS Television Network since joining it in 1985 at the age of 26. He has been the lead play-by-play voice for THE NFL ON CBS since 2004, teaming up with Phil Simms on the Network’s number one NFL and Super Bowl announce team. For six years (1998-2003) he anchored the Network's NFL pre-game studio show, THE NFL TODAY, and hosted its coverage of the Super Bowl. In addition, Nantz is the anchor of CBS's golf coverage, including the Masters® and the PGA Championship, and lead play-by-play announcer for college basketball, including the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship and Final Four.

In 2007 Nantz became the first commentator in history to complete the rare broadcasting three-feat – calling Super Bowl XLI (Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears), the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Final Four and the Masters® all in a span of 63 days. In 2010 Nantz repeated the rare broadcasting triple beginning with his call of the most-watched program in television history (at the time of its airing), Super Bowl XLIV (New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts), followed by the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Final Four and the Masters®.

Nantz began his tenure at CBS Sports as the host of the Network's college football studio show (1985-88). He was lead play-by-play announcer for CBS's coverage of college football (1989-1990) and went on to cover the NFL in 1991. By 1993, he was calling play-by-play for the Network's second-team coverage of THE NFL ON CBS regular-season and post-season broadcasts. He returned as the lead voice of college football in 1996, calling the National Championship Games for the 1996 and 1997 seasons (Fiesta Bowl; Nebraska vs. Florida, and Orange Bowl; Tennessee vs. Nebraska, respectively). In 1997, he returned to the studio to anchor COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY.

In 2008 Nantz co-authored with Eli Spielman the instant New York Times bestseller, Always By My Side. The book climbed to No. 3 on the New York Times list making it the highest ranking achieved that year by a sports category book. Nantz told his personal stories from football, basketball and golf and how he met people along the way who reminded him of the virtues his father instilled in him. The foreword to the book was written by one of his father figures and dear friend, former President George H.W. Bush.

In January 2011 Nantz returned to his adopted hometown of Houston to team with The Methodist Hospital in Houston to create the Nantz National Alzheimer Center (NNAC) in honor of his father. It is an all-inclusive center committed to cutting-edge Alzheimer’s research and treatment in hopes of one day finding a cure. The NNAC (www.nantzfriends.org) also focuses on the connection between concussions and other traumatic brain injuries in athletes and their effects on dementing illnesses.

For Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston in 2004, Nantz was the Host and Chairman of the first-ever Super Bowl Opening Ceremony and concert spectacular: Super Bowl XXXVIII: A Houston Salute. Nantz created and organized the event with former President George Bush, the chairman of the event.

Nantz graduated in 1981 with a degree in radio/television from the University of Houston, where he was recruited as a member of the golf team. He received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from his alma mater in May 2001 in recognition of his contributions to his profession and to the university.

He was born May 17, 1959, in Charlotte, N.C. and has one child, Caroline.

KUJNE - July 28 2012 04:24 AM

Chuck - August 10 2011 09:02 PM

Jim, congratulations on winning the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, as well as to the others as part of the Class of 2011,
..............................Looking ahead to the Class of 2012, to any sportswriters reading this, please read my question following these supportive quotes:
.............................."Every person working in sports journalism today owes a tremendous debt to Howard Cosell. His greatest contribution was elevating sports reporting out of daily play-by-play and placing it in the larger context of society."
-- President, ABC Sports, Roone Arledge
.............................."When the complete book on sportscasting in the 20th Century is composed, Howard Cosell has earned the longest chapter. His influence in sportscasting has been profound."
-- Dick Enberg, Sportscaster
.............................."He's a seminal figure not only in sports, but all of television."
-- Dick Ebersol, former president of NBC Sports
.............................."Howard Cosell was Monday Night Football. Without Howard Cosell, there was no Monday Night Football."
-- Chet Forte, former Director of ABC Monday Night Football
.............................."Howard Cosell was a colorful guy. The broadcaster's death is a sad day for sports."
-- Washington Redskins receiver, Alvin Garrett
.............................."Cosell is the franchise. He may also be the most valuable property in American sports. There's no question that Howard Cosell was the most important sports journalist of our time, and because so much of what he did transcended sports, he was one of the most important journalists... period."
-- Sports Journalist, Robert Lipsyte
.............................."I remember him as someone who was an important journalistic figure, and I think to deny that is to let your prejudices get in the way."
-- Author, Frank Deford
.............................."Howard was a true original. He rose like a screeching comet and left a trail that no modern broadcaster has ever dared to follow. There will never be another like him."
-- NFL Films, Steve Sabol
.............................."I used to look at Howard Cosell's 'Halftime Highlights' with reverence..."
-- Chris Berman (ESPN)
.............................."...the most important game of my career than any game that I've ever played, and, the reason being was it was Monday Night Football, it was Howard Cosell, it was the Cowboys versus the Redskins."
-- Ken Houston - Washington Redskins, Pro Football Hall of Fame
.............................."I think he'll be seen as the broadcasting pioneer who changed the way people listen to and watch sports"
-- Shelby Whitfield, former ABC radio sports director
.............................."Howard Cosell was a good man and he lived a good life. I have been interviewed by many people, but I enjoyed interviews with Howard the best. We always put on a good show. I hope to meet him one day in the hereafter. I can hear Howard now saying, Muhammad, you're not the man you used to be. I pray that he is in God's hands. I will miss him."
-- Former heavyweight boxing champion, Muhammad Ali
............................................................QUESTION: How can the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio continue to legitimately document and recognize those sportscasters and journalists who have contributed to their own profession without also recognizing the one man to whom so many have affirmed their own professional recognition. Which of you sportswriters reading this will have the courage to present the case for him now? Who will stand-up for Howard Cosell and do what is necessary to add his name to the "Hall of Fame" with a "Pete Rozelle Radio Television Award" in 2012?

First time posting? A confirmation email will be sent to you after submitting.NameEmailAvatar Upload

Returning posters, enter your username and password.EmailPassword

Your Comments

Remember me

Your email address is required to confirm your comments. Email addresses are never displayed to other users and they are not used for any other purposes other than story comments.

Once you enter your email address, name, and comment, you will be emailed a link to confirm your comment. Additionally, you will be sent a password. In the future, if you wish to leave other comments, use the password that is provided in the email.